It has already generated lots of unwanted attention and may wind up costing him a ton of money, yet this pending divorce won’t be as damaging for Alex Rodriguez as the first one.

Roughly 10 years ago, A-Rod split with his original soul mate, a person who was right for him in every way. The details of that breakup remain sketchy, another case filed under irreconcilable differences, although by most suspicions, that difference was A-Rod’s ego. There was no room for the three of them, and that was the cue for Derek Jeter to go his own separate way.

Just like that, A-Rod lost not only his best baseball buddy, but someone who could’ve shown him the right way to conduct a balanced life, both in and away from baseball.

As we brace for more tabloid news that is none of our business, now that Cynthia Rodriguez confirmed Monday that she and her husband have struck out, this is the right time to get a greater appreciation of the real Mr. Yankee. In an era when too many athletes stumble over their wrong choices, one player still manages to stand above the bunch, still manages to demonstrate that, though achieving perfection is impossible, coming close is not.

Because when you size up Jeter, you’re not sure whether to be jealous of him, or admire him, or marvel at him. Or maybe just do all of the above. Or perhaps gush in the same manner as Ozzie Guillen not long ago, when the White Sox manager said Jeter “has everything he wants. Nobody is better than Derek Jeter in the game. Nobody.”

Remember, Jeter has virtually owned New York, city of temptation, since he turned 22 and won a World Series. At that age, too many young men are foolish and stupid and led by their impulses. But Jeter never did anything to cause him, his family or the Yankees embarrassment. They should put that on his Hall of Fame plaque someday. He has stayed cleaner than David Wells’ dinner plate, mainly because he never allows the Magnitude of Being Jeter to swallow him up. He kept his on-base percentage bigger than his ego.

More remarkable than what you see from Jeter is what you don’t: scandal, greed, “do you know who I am?” tantrums and whatnot. Whatever great advice his parents gave him worked, because their son, now 34, has handled everything thrown his way, and we’re not just talking about fastballs.

Here’s the Jeter checklist for success:

Stay devoted to baseball.

Date the world’s prettiest women and somehow keep the breakups off “Entertainment Tonight.”

Never, ever get married until … well, until.

Know what nightclub to go to and when to leave.

Remain cordial with the media without saying anything inflammatory.

Earn and keep the respect of teammates and opponents.

Become charitable and kid-friendly.

And above all, use common sense.

This list has served him well for 12 years and counting. And it makes you wonder whether A-Rod would’ve followed the same code of professional and personal conduct had he stayed close with Jeter and allowed some of Jeter to rub off on him.

Understand this has nothing to do with performance; A-Rod, as we’ve seen, hasn’t required anyone’s help in that area. It’s all about public perception and image, and in that sense, the comparison between A-Rod and Jeter is much farther apart than their lockers at Yankee Stadium.

A-Rod’s going through a nasty divorce, which happens to folks every day, and therefore it doesn’t make him unique or a terrible person. It only confirms, once again, that he’s a flawed person, despite all the fame and money and talent.

His former best friend has flaws, too, like the rest of us, although Jeter does a great job of hiding them. And that, more than his ability to hit in the clutch, is his greatest skill.